Life Goes On
by OMGItsABlasterPewPew
Summary: Elizabeth Moore's parents are devorced and she's forced to go visit her dad for the rest of her summer when she falls in love with a boy from the small town her dad lives in. Bertrand Nebraska. Okay its not Dear John. i couldnt find anything similar. sry
1. Chapter 1

PROLOGE

Most of us go through many trials. Some of us cry, some try to laugh It off, others try their best to act like everything's normal. Nevertheless, even though we do these things, trying to cope with the pain we are in, it never really helps. We cope with many things… but does crying, laughing, all those things we do really get rid of our problem? Really, I don't think it does. So what exactly is it that we should do? I ask myself that question everyday. Does anyone really know the answer to that? I don't think it's possible. People say they do, but do they really? I can't answer these questions. However, I CAN tell you that we all need to listen. Maybe you can help someone else, you never know. This story is about a girl whose life never really had anything to cope with until her parents decided to get a divorce. This story is about me.

CHAPTER ONE

I opened my eyes and looked out the window that was on my right. I could see down ten stories. I watched as the cars zoomed by. Many were going excessively fast. I loved watching the traffic. Especially when it was rush hour. Right now, it was seven and everyone was trying to get to work as quickly as possible. To me this was calming. Compared to my life, because my parents just got divorced, it seemed peaceful.

"Elizabeth! Its time for you to wake up..." mom called from the kitchen.

"I'm gettin' up!" I said back. Slowly I pulled the covers off my body. I was wearing my pajama pants and a tank top. I stood up and stretched, touching my toes, reaching for the sky, and did a couple jumping jacks to get my heart pumping. I went to look in my closet to see what to wear. I was feeling like green today. So I put on my Kelly green tee and my knee length kaki skirt. I looked in the mirror, immediately seeing the black rings around my eyes. The last few weeks have been hard on me. My parents have been going to court for the last half a year trying to figure out who gets what. These last few weeks were over who got custody of me. Lucky for me my mom won that battle. Even though I still had to visit my dad for Christmas break. The WHOLE vacation to! My dad and I… we used to be close, but he really messed up. I don't think that he really loved my brother and me at all! My brother Mark is ten. And he is staying with my mom. I've taken him with me, whenever mom and dad would have a fight, and go get him ice cream or go see a movie or something. We've gotten close spending time with each other. I turned my radio on and started to remember…

'I woke up one day hearing my mom and dad fighting. This had been happening a lot recently. I remember Mark coming in and getting in bed with me. So I really didn't have time to listen to what was going on. Really, I was just trying to distract Mark. I remember that I asked him how long they had been fighting and how long he had been up. He told me they had been fighting since three that morning. And that he had heard most of it. Well that was when I decided that my brother shouldn't have to know what was going on. It wasn't his problem. So I got up and got dressed. "Where are you going?" he asked.

"You mean where are WE going? We are going to get you a new game boy!" I told him with fake enthusiasm.

"With what money?" he practically shrieked.

"It's no biggy, I'll get some from somewhere." I told him. I was planning to steal some from dad's wallet. I'd replace it… someday. "Stay here real quick, okay?" I told him sternly. Then I turned my radio on so he couldn't hear what they where saying.'

I was jarred from my memory as Mark came in my room and sat on my bed. "What do you need Mark?" I asked a little moody from my memories.

"Just going to tell you good morning, I guess." He said deflated a little.

"Sorry Mark. I'm just not feeling good today, you know girl problems." I lied. I didn't want him to know that I was hurting. He already thought that it was his fault that they separated. "Hey it's your song on, you want to sing it?"

"No, I'm not in the mood to sing. I think I'm going to help mom make breakfast."

"Okay, I'm sure she'll be glad to have the help." I gave him a small smile. I felt bad that my ten-year-old brother had to deal with this. He was carry to much on his shoulders. I wished that I could help him. Well I had to go to work. I was saving for a car. I was seventeen and needed one desperately! I looked in the mirror again. Ehh it was better. I still looked stressed but whatever, there weren't any black circles anymore! Thank you God for make-up!

In the summer, I have a job at the local café down the street. Normally I take Mark with me and he plays game boy, but today was Saturday and mom was home. If he wanted to come down he would have mom drive him. On my walk there I saw many people I knew from school. I tried my best to avoid many of them but some wouldn't be deterred.

"Hey why don't you talk to me anymore? You never return my calls anymore!" it was my best friend Emma. I couldn't tell her what was going on!

"I'm sorry I just have a lot going on right now." I said lamely.

"Don't give me that Lizzy! I understand that what you're going through is tough, but you can't just dump your friends! If anything you need them more right now." She pushed. I knew what she was saying was right but..

"I got to get to work or I'll be late." I said as I ducked through the door and jogged to the backroom. 'Pheew I'm safe! She never gives up! Well I should know that she's MY best friend. Or at least she is to me, but what am I being to her? She probably thinks I'm a jerk!' I was thinking all this while I punched my time card in its slot. I whipped my apron on and got my order book, put a bottle of aspirin in my pocket, for those occasional costumers with a headache. I figured out if I listened and helped my customer I got a bigger tip! That was my goal! "Hi my names Lizzy I'll be your server today. Can I get you something to drink?"

My day went by fast until I saw Michael walk in and I lost my breath. Why did he have to come here all the time? We dated for about a year when he broke my heart, and now he brings all his new girlfriends here to get on my nerves! 'What a jerk!' I thought. 'And of course he has to sit at one of MY tables' "Hi my names Lizzy I'll be your server today. Can I get you something to drink?" I said to her.

"Oh! Umm I'll have a sweet tea with lemon." Good choice.

"What about you sir? I asked him as polite as I would anyone else. He saw the greeting smile on my face and answered sourly..

"Mountain Dew." Well poop on you, you jerk!

"I'll be right back with that." I said sweetly to his girlfriend. Did I just hear her say that she liked me? 'Amazing, maybe one day we could be friends!' I thought. I went and got her a cool glass of iced tea. Condensation started to form on it. And then I got his Mountain Dew, and also considered spitting a loogey in it, but decided not to. I brought it back to them and said, "Did you decide on your order or do you need more time?" I smiled.

"We'll be just one more moment, I think." She said. "Oh by the way my name's Jessica." I smiled warmly at her and went to greet a group of teenage boys, who didn't look like they belong in New York, and seat them.

"Right this way." I said to the one standing in the front. I lead them to a booth towards the back, so they wouldn't disturb the older customers. " Hi I'll be your sever this afternoon. My names Lizzy. Can I get drinks for you? I asked politely. They all picked mostly the same thing. Trying to make it easier for me. I carried the seven boys their drinks and gave them all a smile and asked, "Have you figured out what you're going to order or do you need a few minutes?"

"No we're only getting drinks. Its pretty hot outside." The closest one smiled at me. He had black hair done in a faux hawk. With sunglasses on his head. He had a nice tan and his eyes were blue. But they weren't just blue they were like ice blue. He was actually pretty attractive, but of course I couldn't think of that! All I could think about was how much of a jerk Michael was! And how bad my life sucked. I didn't even care what this person was going through.

"Yea it gets pretty hot here in the summer." I said lamely. All the other boys were blonde and had nice tans also but none were as cute as he was. 'I wish that I had a tan' I thought…

I got home around five-thirty and changed to faded jeans. Ran back down all ten stories of stairs. Mark had a little league game and I was already late! He would be so disappointed if I couldn't see him bat! He was actually really good to! By the time I got to the tacky little lobby with black and white checkered linoleum, it was already six o' clock. 'Crap' I thought. The person working the desk was wearing a tacky red outfit and needed to brush his teeth badly! "Did my mom leave any messages for me?" I asked trying not to breath in his bad breath.

" Yes, she said… that she will see you at Memorial Park baseball field and she has something to tell you." He said with his heavy Jersey accent.

" Thanks! Here's some gum uhh… Rick." I smiled my toothpaste ad smile at him. Maybe I got something across to him. I ran out the spiny door and rushed to the tiny little bus stop. I reached in my jean pocket, searching for the forty-five cents I needed to get on the bus. I felt a piece of paper and took it out. ' Uhh.' I thought. 'The letter from dad. I don't think I ever read it….' I slowly opened the paper up and started to read..

**Dear Lizzy,**

**Hi… it's your father… I know that you have gone through a lot this year. I know that we've put you kids through a lot…. I feel bad. I want you to know that its not that I don't love your mother anymore… it's just.. Hard to explain. I know that you don't understand and I hope you never do. I want you to know that what happened with your mom and I am not yours OR Marks fault. I love you both so much. I want hope you know that what happed was for the best…. I love you….**

**Dad,**

**XOXOXO**

I looked up and there was the bus. Waiting for me to climb on. I dug my change out of my pocket and climbed on with tears in my eyes. Maybe dad did love me just…. No he abandoned mom and me for three whole weeks! He could have been cheating for all we know! I sat towards the back, seeing those boys from the café again. They drove by the bus in one of their cars. I couldn't see who was driving though. I wiped my eyes and suddenly remembered what I was going to do. I looked at my watch. Good it hadn't started yet. It would be by the time I got there though. I laid my head back and closed my eyes and thought…

' "Dad can I have an ice cream please? Please, please, PLEASE!" I was five and up on my dad's shoulders walking around New York City exploring.

"Okay, Okay." He caved to my greenish brown puppy dog eyes. My chestnut hair was in pigtails and was falling into my eyes. "What flavor? Let me guess… hhmmm I'm thinking orange twist.. Did I guess right?" he laughed. His laugh used to be so warm and just made you feel like everything was okay and would be forever. That changed though, a couple more years and his laugh would start to get strained and nervous and then a few more years he would stop laughing all together.

"Yes that's my FAAVVORRIITTEE!" I giggled.' I felt my heart start to ache at the memory. A single tear slid down my cheek and stopped at my chin. ' "Daddy, I love you!" I said so whole hearted you could tell I spoke the truth.' Another tear and another slid down my face.

' "I love you too pumpkin." He said. That was his nickname for me. I used to tell him, like right now,

"I'm not orange OR fat dad! DUH!" I giggled.

"Well your ganna be if you keep eating orange twists everyday!" he teased." 'Oh god.' I broke down and started to cry. ' Wait what is crying going to help? Nothing! So stop it you retard! Stop! But I can't help it.. Maybe I need to cry. NO you don't need to cry crazy! You're in public, suck it up!' I internally argued with myself.


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER TWO

"Go Mark! Run home! Run home!" I was screaming! It was the last inning and they were tied fifteen and fifteen. Mark's home run would win it for the Lil' Bears. Those poor kids who had to see the wrath of my brother's swing. "YEAH! YOU DID IT!" I was standing on the bleachers dancing. I think I am as happy for my brother as he is for winning! Really, I am just happy he has a reason to be happy!

"I'm so proud of you honey!" My mom crowed. Mark had just been put done by all the other players. Some thing that they did in sports.

"Come on Mark lets go get some ice cream!" I said as we climbed in the car. I turned on the radio and started to sing along. It was a song that mom and I used to sing to Mark to get him to fall asleep. I turned around in my seat to say something to Mark, and saw that his eyes where closed so I just said " Maybe we should just go home mom." She turned around and saw him sleeping.

" Maybe that's a good idea." She laughed. " He has to be tired from all those home runs he made! I'll tell you, I'm so proud of him I could burst!" I laughed and closed MY eyes and just listened to the radio until I felt the car stop. I hopped out and unbuckled Mark.

" Carrying a one hundred pound kid up ten stories of stairs is NOT easy!" I huffed. " I wish that the elevator was working again!" I moaned as I started up another flight of stairs.

" So your dad called today." My mom blurted so unexpectently I think it even startled her.

" What'd he want?" I asked a little startled. Dad never called mom!

" Well he wanted to know if he could have you and your brother for the rest of the summer." She said hesitantly. " And I can't really tell him no either so… I told him yes. He wants you next week."

"WHAT! You told him yes! Mom you know how awkward it is between him and I!" I rolled my eyes and stomped up some more stairs.

" Honey, yes I know. Nevertheless, I called my lawyer and he said that I couldn't tell him no… Look, I realize that it's not the best thing for you right now but… I really can't do anything about it. Maybe it will do you good. You need to be able to forgive your father. What happened between him and I had nothing to do with you! You need your father in your life." She sighed. I knew that she felt bad about the divorce."

"Fine, I understand I guess. However, I am not guaranteeing that I will forgive him! So were does he live now anyways? Please tell me a place that has a building at least 5 stories high!"

"Well l I don't know how high the buildings are but he lives in Nebraska."

" Nebraska! So I'm ganna have to be around a bunch of rednecks for the remainder of my summer?" I sighed. I cannot believe this!

When we got to our door, I rushed to put Mark on the couch! "God he's heavy!" I complained. It was eight thirty so I went to my room and changed into my comfortable clothes. I lay down on my bed and started to draw in my book. Just doodles really, until I started to close my eyes and my pictures really started to get vivid. I took art class and whenever I started to feel something, I would close my eyes and let my mind take it where it wanted to go. This is what was happening right this second. I was feeling a willow tree, and a pond. A tire swing hanging from the tree and down towards the water. Two people treading in the pond and kissing each other. A big white house in the background with blue shudders and balcony on the second floor. Some flowers around the pond. Maybe a turtle's head sticking out of the water. I opened my eyes and looked at it. I was pleased with the outcome of my wonderful (and sometimes horrid) imagination. I looked at my clock and it was now ten o' clock. Big sigh, 'Maybe I'll go shop for clothes appropriate for Nebraska tomorrow.' I thought. I closed my eyes and drifted off into dreamless sleep.

" What about this Mark?" I asked him holding up a pair of brown plaid shorts. He had been excited since he found out he could go see dad. He was a forgiving person. We where trying to shop for clothes but right now he was to busy watching a TV that was playing Deal or No Deal.

" Pick fifteen! Fifteen! Ugh! See I told you! If you had picked fifteen you would still have the seventy-five thousand dollars! Stupid people!" he grumbled, totally oblivious to my question.

"MARK!" that got his attention. " Look you need new clothes, try to help me out here!" I threw my hands up exasperated. This is what had been happening for the last hour, he always found a TV somewhere with one of his favorite shows.

" Fine. I like them, how much are they?" he asked. His eyebrows rose questionably.

" Not much, so if you like them, go try them on." I said. It was always hard to get him to comply me when it came too clothes. He went into the changing booth and was out in a few seconds. "They look good. Turn around." I walked over and started to scrutinize them. "How tight are they?" I asked. They looked nice.

" They're comfortable. I like them, the pockets are deep." He was so calm. I could not be calm like that, my brain was a hectic mess. I looked like a mess to! My hair was up in a ponytail, and it was starting to fall down into my eyes. I had no make-up on, I was wearing my baggy cargo shorts with paint stains on them, and the blue tank top I wore to bed last night. Mark on the other hand had his light brown hair spiked up, and a CLEAN white shirt on. I now realized how much he had grown up in the last couple months. He probably grew like three inches. But not only had grown he physically, he had matured a lot to. He was learning from our mistakes, and his, and changing his attitude about a lot of things.

" That's a plus." I laughed. He had so many things that where important to him. " Are they long enough?" I asked.

" Yea, they're good. You know I think I've got enough. I have enough to fill my closet! With them all folded and laying on the ground! What about you, you have nothing." He said.

" Well I was going to get your stuff first then go get mine. But you're right, you have enough to last you a century. You can go back to watching your show." I laughed.

" No I'm ganna help you NOT go over your budget." He grinned at me. He had a nice white smile and blue braces covering them. We walked over towards the girl's junior section and started looking. We where at the huge mall just down the street from our condo. " How about this for any thing dressy we go to?" Mark was holding up a white sleeveless dress that was very innocent looking. It looked like it would be knee height for someone who was 5'5.

" Okay, I'll try it. Nice pick Mark!" I smiled encouragingly at him. " Look for some other stuff while I try to get into this." I walked into the changing room and took my clothes off. I looked at my feet wondering how much money dad put on that debit card he sent. He said a couple thousand but where would he get that? Maybe he has a nice job. Or maybe he's been saving it… Whatever, I looked in the mirror and the dress was actually very nice. I looked HOT even with my hair being crazy and no make-up. " Wow." I was stunned! It accentuated my curves perfectly! I was a pretty girl with nice curves but I never looked THIS good! I walked out to show Mark.

" Nice…" Was his response. I started striking poses, joking around with him. He was laughing so I blew him a kiss. Then I put my hands up and started to dance! I started to get lower to the ground, Mark cracking up even more. So I decided to push further. I slowly came back up and started doing the robot, it was his favorite move of mine. I was really good at it to, I took a dancing class up until I was fifteen.

" People are watching you." He was laughed. His laugh was so soothing to me. I loved to here it!

" You think I care?" I laughed. " They'll just think I'm either a whack job or mental." I saw some of the people watching me. One happened to be that guy from the café. The one with the black hair and blue eyes. I saw that he was laughing. I stopped dancing and said, "So what's next?" he handed me a brown pair of corduroy shorts and a white shirt with Oscar from Sesame Street on it. It said 'Warning: Mood Swings!' and a couple other things.

Back home I was going through some of my things. I had to pack a trunk to send to my dad's house of all the things I was going to need that couldn't fit in my suitcase. I was looking in my closet for the things to put in it. I put all my new clothes, shoes, cds, and books in already. Everything was in the perfect place. I was trying to fit as much as I possibly could into it. After all, we are going to be there for over three-fourths of the summer. I went and got a Ziploc to put all my jewelry in, so that it would not get broken in the shipping. I opened all the drawers in my desk, and nightstand. I got all the poems I've written and stuck them in my special notebook, along with all the letters my friends and me wrote over the past summers. I put all my stuffed animals in a box. I put my easel and guitar on top, shut the lid and locked it. I sat down on my bed and running my hands through my hair, I got caught on a couple of knots that had appeared since I brushed my hair this morning. I laid my head back and closed my eyes. I sighed, if I was supposed to get along with my dad I have to be able to forgive him. Maybe Nebraska won't be that bad.


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER THREE

I woke up to the sun just peeking over the horizon. I had a flight for eight-thirty, but I still had to pack all those last minute things that I had to use up until now. I looked at my alarm clock and it said it was five-thirty. I had a total of four hours to get Mark and me ready to go. Then we had to have enough time for us to go to breakfast with mom, let her tell us how much she loves us, cry, and say how much she'll miss her babies.

I made my bed with fresh sheets and blankets. I grabbed my pillows and stuffed them in my suitcase. I had sent all my bed set sent to my dad's house. Looking around my room was like looking at a graveyard. Everything was gone and to somewhere that I had no idea what would be like. I grabbed a towel and got in a steaming shower. I used my shampoo and conditioner to try to calm me down a bit. Slowly massaging my head, making a circular motion, slowly breathing in the coconut, it was soothing.

I got out and dried off, rubbing my head with a towel trying to get it dry. I walked to Mark's room and knocked quietly. "Mark," I whispered as I cracked his door. He was still sleeping, so I walked out, quietly down the hall to my room. I opened my door and walked into the ghost room. I threw on my clothes, blue plaid short-shorts and a white v-neck shirt. I brushed my hair threw on some make-up and ran back out my door.

I burst into mom's room and threw myself on her bed, waking her up if she wasn't already. "Mom I don't know how you expect me to live so far away from you. What happens if like…. I don't know, something girly! I can't tell dad if that happens! And you can't just fly all the way from New York to Nebraska for that! I'm not even legally an adult yet! I mean how am I supposed to raise a ten-year-old all by myself? This is just crazy! We should tell dad, that maybe, I missed my flight and we can't get another cheap one till after my birthday! Then I can say no, and you know he won't make Mark go by himself! I mean he'll just have to send my stuff back and… and… I don't know." I was starting to break down.

Mom was awake, it turns out, before I jumped on her. " Honey, you have a cell phone. I will ALWAYS just be a call away, I swear to God! Doesn't matter what's going on, I'll answer the phone. Also, you're forgetting that your dad IS a responsible adult. Mark won't be tagging along constantly either. Your dad has a ton of plans for them. And I'm not telling your father you missed your flight! This is important to him and your ganna go! I don't care, your going. And that's final." She declared firm but sweetly.

I sat up and looked at her with the most pathetic face. " Don't give me that face Elizabeth. I will not fall for it, it may work on your dad but not me. I'm not a sucker for little girls and pouty faces."

The flight was long and super boring. Mark pretty much slept the whole time on BOTH flights. I had my Ipod in and bobbed my head to the way too loud music. I looked over at the person beside me, he was heavy set and tall. I'd say about 6'2 maybe, but I couldn't really tell because he was sitting down. I had my phone on and was texting my dad, telling him we where going to land in about thirty minutes. The flight attendant walked by "Um when you get a minute." I said politely. I knew how it was to have a rude customer, annoying.

She smiled and said "Sure thing Hon." She took the drink cart to the back, and walked my way. " You okay?" she asked. I guess my tears weren't exactly helping.

"Can you bring me water and some Advil, please?" I asked, sniffling a little.

" Yeah, I'll be right back." She smiled.

"Please buckle your seatbelts, we will be landing in about five minutes." The speaker blurted, making me jump. I reached over and buckled Mark's seatbelt around his sleeping body. The stewardess came back and gave me my water, Advil, and a pack of tissues.

"Come on Lizzy, grab your bag, I see dad!" Mark practically screeched. I sighed, picked my bag up, and walked towards dad. Dad turned around looking in the wrong direction, poking his head up trying to see above the crowd. "DAD!" he yelled trying to get his attention. Dad turned around and his whole face lit up as he saw Mark and I. 'He actually smiled, that was weird.' I thought.

"Gah you're so big!" he said. 'Of course he was big he hadn't seen him in two whole years!' Even though Mom and Dad just got divorced, dad had moved out two years before that. We never saw him once, not even a picture. 'He looks good though, like my old dad, relaxed and happy.'

" Hi dad." I said. That was all I was planning on saying, plus I said it first so he couldn't say that I was being hostile. He looked at me somewhat shocked that I would make the first move, but that disappeared quickly as he smiled.

" Hey." 'What a lame answer.' I thought, " I have a surprise for you!" he grinned, "I hope you'll like it!"

"I'm sure I will." I said, trying to be pleasant. 'Remember, you have four whole months with him. Make the best of them, even if that means actually doing things with him.'

"What about me?" Mark asked, as if dad had forgotten about him.

" I have something for you to, but I KNOW you'll like it." He laughed, again! " Oh yeah and I have a job application for you Elizabeth. Your mother told me that you were working at a café in New York so.." He said not bothering to finish the sentence. "I thought we'd order pizza for tonight, so that you guys can get settled in."

" Can we order Chinese instead?" I asked, " We had pizza when we stopped in Chicago."

" Yea of course. Whatever you guys are in the mood for."

" Keep your eyes closed!" He warned. We had drove to the house to the house with Marks none stop chatter. Filling dad in on all the baseball games he won, all the video games he played, what his 'girlfriend' said when he told her he had to move.

" They're closed I swear," I laughed. Dad was showing me his surprise. He made me close my eyes before we even reached the street his house was on. "Mark stop telling him they're not, you turd!" I had grown more comfortable with my dad on the drive there. He was… normal. Back to the way he used to be.

" I'm just making sure." We were out of the car and walking towards something unknown. I heard something that sounded like a garage door opening. I heard Mark gasp, mumbling something I couldn't make out. "Okay open them."

"OH MY GOD! DAD YOU DIDN'T!" Sitting in the garage was a brand spanking new silver Tayota Camery!

"Your mom helped out to." He laughed at me jumping up and down. "Go look in it." I ran to it and threw the door open. In the seat was a letter, and the keys. I grabbed the keys and letter and sat down. I ripped the letter open and saw my moms clean bubbly script,

' Dear Lizzy,

Bet you can't believe I held this in can you? When your dad asked me if he could I said yes, even though you were saving up for a car on your own. But now you can use that money for gas and for your room. If your dad didn't do that already too haha. It's really weird me writing you a letter while your still here, I had to wait for you to head to work so you wouldn't catch me and ruin the whole surprise. I guess that if your reading this that you in Nebraska and I'm probably missing you terribly. So what I mean is, CALL ME AS SOON AS POSSIBLE!

LOTS OF LOVE,

Mom

_**Cathy **_'

'God my mom's crazy' I thought. I got out and saw that my dad and Mark had left. So I went in the door to the right, inside was beautiful! I had walked into the kitchen where there were marble counters and light wood cabnets. I looked down and there was a big hound dog with red fur and floppy ears, looking up at me. "Hi baby, what's your name huh?" I said as I was reaching down to rub his ears. I looked at his black coller and his tag said Rusty. "Hey Rusty! How you doing? Were's your daddy?" he turned around a walked out of the room. I followed him into a hallway and up some stairs to a door. He nugged the door with his nose and it swung open. He just walked in, so I decided to follow, peeking around the door. The room was a dark red with black carpet, a huge TV hanging covering one whole wall and theater seats in front of it. I turned my head and saw a my bed set and closet door… 'Oh my god! This is my room!' I thought. My dad did background sets for movies and things when he lived in New York, so I knew he was creative but… wow! Hanging over my bed was movie advertisments in glass cases. To the left was a window but it stuck out making a ledge in front of it. Dad had put pillows on it so I could sit there and look out of it. I opened the blinds and out my window was a green golf course with a tiny little creek running through it. I heard a door open and I whipped around to see dad walking out of my closet, with Mark right behind him. I jumped not knowing who it was.

" I see you found your room… and Rusty. I was lookin' for you bud." He said reaching down to pet the big dog.

"Lizzy guess what dad got me!" Mark jumped in front of me.

haha i know kinda left u hanging didnt i... sorry i will add more tomorrow hopefully


	4. Chapter 4

*Hey for those SMALL amount of ppl who read this, sorry i havent wrote in forever. I'm actually wanting to go serious with my writing so my chapters r kinda long so i was ganna try 2 finish the whole thing b4 posting it but i caved so... Thanks for the reviews (those who sent good one expecially) keep them coming it makes me work harder! :b By they way i have a totally AWSOME idea coming up later in the story... Probably chapter six tho... Sneeky girls, Climbing thru a window, and dark room. thats all the hints ur getting.. by the way if you ewad some stuff u already did then I'm really sorry, if none of it matches with the third chapter please TELL me!

- Blaster*

I got up at eight o'clock sharp, and went to go take a long hot shower. I got out and found my green bikini, slipped it on, on put cotton shorts and a tank top on over top of it. I walked down the stairs and got out the cereal boxes down for Mark. I was not planning to eat, my stomach was already sick. I do not like meeting people in a new town. I was so little when we moved to New York so it didn't really matter.

"Lizzy where is my bathing suit? I can't find it!" Mark yelled.

"I don't know. Did you unpack last night like I told you to?"

"Maybe, NO BUT I WAS BUSY!" he said.

"Well then look in your trunk. Look if I come up there and find it, I'm ganna kill you!" I threatened.

"Found it!"

"I thought so..." I mumbled to myself. It was eleven twenty-three and Mark still wasn't ready. I had been packed and dressed since ten o' clock, and I was now watching a movie. Apparently my dad was a big movie buff, he owned THOUSANDS of movies. They were stuffed in four cabinets, a bunch of baskets, and a coffee table that flipped open to a secret compartment. Then he had a bunch in his room... it was crazy. In New York, I think we owned ten movies.

The doorbell rang, I checked my watch, 'He's thirty minutes early.' I thought. I just sat there thinking Mark would get it.

"God, Mark thanks for getting the door! You're a HUGE help!" I yelled up the stairs a few minutes later. I swung the door open, "Hey," I said, expecting Dominic.

"Uh, hi! Dominic's cleaning up the car real quick, he told me to go knock..." a girl with black hair and wearing a hot pink bikini with blue stripes, said. "I'm Nichole, his sister." She said, she sounded somewhat intimidated.

"Oh, gottcha. Come on in, I was just watching this movie, I think its called something like 'Nick and Joanna's forever playlist' or something. Just make yourself comfortable."

"I love that movie! Um its 'Nick and Nora's playlist.' It's a pretty good movie." She sat down on my dad's white couch. It was one of those ones that curve and make two couches. I plopped down on the floor next to Rusty, who slept with me all night. Then of course, there was a knock on the door, right as I sat down.

I got up with a sigh and walked to the stairs. "Mark hurry up! They're here!" I opened the door as Mark came down the stairs. I was looking at Mark when I said "Hey," then looked at Dominic. He had on white swimming trunks, which showed off his tan perfectly, and was not wearing a shirt. 'HOLY CRAP!' I thought. He had a six-pack and some awesome biceps! He probably worked out everyday. Suddenly I was super nervous, to be riding in the same car as this very tan, very buff, man-child. "Ummm…"

"You're here! Should I bring my bat and glove or no? Lizzy said that I should just in case, but I thought I'd ask you!" Mark said, practically bursting with excitement. He was diagnosed with ADHD at four. He had almost ran into Dominic, but he screeched to a stop right before hitting him, so now they were about an inch apart. 'Thank you sweet baby Jesus!' I thought. Mark just saved me from a really awkward situation. I realized he did it on purpose when he looked at me and winked. God I love him!

"Uh yeah bring it just in case. I think we're good, but I mean if you want YOUR bat and glove then yes bring it." Dominic said.

"Okay I will then!" Mark ran to the garage, leaving me there with him.

"He may be awhile; he doesn't find things quickly so just come in here for a sec." I said looking down. I walked toward the living room with him right behind me. "OW DAMN IT! I yelled. I had just run my big toe into the dinning room table! "Dang it!" I whined sitting down on a chair.

"YOU CURSED! IF WE WERE AT HOME YOU WOULD HAVE TO PUT MONEY IN THE SWEAR JAR!" said Mark loudly coming from nowhere.

"Well we aren't at home so shut it." I said, I was in a lot of pain and my toe was turning purple!

"Here let me see it." Dominic squatted down by where I was holding my toe.

"Uh I don't trust you! You'll probably yank it or something!" I said freaking out as he took my foot out of my hands.

He laughed "WOW! I'm not that mean, whatever your dad said isn't true!" he said looking at my toe. "I'm just ganna figure out if it's broken or not." He moved it a little, "Does that hurt?" he asked. Nichole had just come out to see what I was yelling about. Mark had seen her and about fallen over himself.

"OW YES!" I said angry that he had touched it. "I thought you were just ganna look at it!" I said. "POP!" I heard and felt it as he yanked it! I slapped the table in pain "JESUS!"

"SORRY!" he said over my complaining. "It was dislocated; I had to put it back in place. I didn't think it would hurt that bad."

"Yeah well it did! Jesus, Mark do you have your crap?" I was angry and my toe still hurt! Dominic had gotten off the floor and was laughing at me, while taking Marks stuff.

"Come on, he's ganna be a jerk. He did that to me one time, I about ripped his head of his shoulders! At least he said sorry to you though." Nichole said sticking out her hand to help me up. I just looked at her hand. This was the first sign of friendship anyone had shown me in four months. After my parents were divorced everyone acted weird around me, and slowly I just drifted away from them.

"Okay, at least I'm not the only one!" I laughed. I grabbed her hand and got up.

"Come on the cars this way." She said.

"I'm just ganna lock the door. I'll be there in a second."

"What took you guys so long?" Dominic ask as we got to his car.

"Oh sorry, we were to busy talking about how much I hate you right now." I said like it was something I said to someone everyday.

"I am an interesting topic, so I don't blame you for wanting to talk about me." He grinned at me, and I knew he was just playing around, and that he was sorry. Maybe he wasn't so much of an arrogant jerk.

"You can have shotgun. His driving scares me to tell the truth." Nichole laughed.

"Thanks!" I said sarcastically. I climbed in and buckled up. I looked at his dashboard where he had a ton of maps and papers, which I guessed was still there from his road trip. His rearview mirror had a picture of him and Nichole and some other guy standing on the top of the Empire State building, hanging from it. Mark climbed in the back beside Nichole.

"That's my step-brother." Dominic said seeing me staring at the picture.

"Oh yeah? I didn't think…" I trailed off.

"He's so cool! He lives with his mom in a huge condo in New York City, they throw like a bagillion parties a year." Nichole rushed. Dominic turned the radio on, of course, to a Country station. I cringed hearing the fiddle and picking it out almost immediately.

"You may want to turn the channel before Lizzy has an aneurism." Mark laughed. "She really hates Country."

"It's not my car," I said, getting on one of my rants, "I don't listen to Country because in my personal opinion there is better music. I rather listen to 'Thank You' by Led Zeppelin or 'Hotel California' by The Eagles than listen to Carrie Underwood sing about an 'All American Girl'. I of course respect other people's opinions, even if I do think that maybe they need to get their ears checked. The only Country music that is TOLERABLE is maybe Taylor Swift, and some songs of the Dixie Chicks. For instance, I like the song 'Goodbye Earl' by them." I lectured. I had one of the widest ranges of music that I liked, Country not being part of it.

"There goes your chance." Mark said, "Next she should say that the people who like Country don't know the difference between music and a dog moaning." Mark said finishing my lecture for me.

"Ow, that hurts. How can you not like Country? That's just… You're SO not going on my cool list now." Dominic said while I was laughing.

"Oh no, not the cool list! How can I ever cope?" I laughed.

"Oh God! Dom, seriously? The cool list? She is right though this stuff SUCKS! I mean I don't like the Eagles or Led Zeppelin either." I looked at Nichole in horror! How could she not like Led Zeppelin? "I'm more of an Orthonie, Muse or The Black Ghosts girl myself." Nichole said laughing at the face I gave her.

"Well at least you like Muse!" I said.

Chapter Four

It went on like that, us arguing about music, changing the channel on the radio, taking each other off and on our cool lists, until we got to the beach. We got out of the car laughing, people watching us. One person really stood out to me, a rather short girl, I'd say 4'6 maybe, staring daggers at me. She had a blue one piece that was rather skimpy, blonde kinky curly hair, and a pinched up mouth that was turning into a smirk, that I just wanted to smack right off her face! She didn't even know me and I could tell she was already judging me. "Who's that? The one starring daggers this way?" I asked Nichole.

"Oh that's Sophie, she's a total jerk! Dominic dated her a few years back. He was really serious, but she cheated on him with his best friend." She whispered, barely moving her lips.

"Huh." I said watching as Sophie walked towards Dominic with the 'Cat who at the Canary' smile on her face.

"She doesn't know how to leave him alone. Every time he starts to be happy she totally ruins it!"

"Sounds like almost everyone in New York." I mumbled to her. "Hey I'll be back I'm just ganna put this chick in her place." Sophie was now trying to talk to Dominic, which anyone could tell was getting on his nerves, yet he was being as polite as ever.

"What are you ganna do? He may get mad." I of course didn't care. I had dealt with girls like this before and they're all jerks. Of course I knew exactly her next move; she would start touching him and complimenting him, pretending to hang on his every word. So I made MY move, I walked over to him, not caring that all eyes were on me anyways, and slipped my arm through his.

"Hey Dominic can you show me where the bathrooms are? I need to change." I said smiling at him, acting like I was totally oblivious of Sophie, even though I did kind of push myself between them. I heard Nichole giggle and felt the looks on me.

"Yeah I'll show you, come on." He said. I kept my arm through his until we turned the corner and I let go. I sighed,

"God, I hate people like that." I said rolling my eyes.

"I guess my dislike for her was obvious." He sighed as we kept walking.

"No, I just have a lot of experience with bitchy people and the things they do. I just pick up on weird things." I reassured him. He just laughed.

"There's the bathroom." He said pointing at a door over my shoulder.

"Thanks, oh and just so you know, I will be watching." I said in my super creepy stalker voice.

"Creepy." He said. I walked into the bathroom, set my bag down on the bench that they had between each shower. 'Gross,' I thought. 'In New York there are stalls! Please tell me I won't have to shower with a bunch of other naked chicks.' I opened my bag and started to take my tank top and shorts off when I heard the door swing open. I didn't even think about it, but the next thing I knew, there was blonde curls standing there staring at me in shorts and a bikini top.

"Can I help you?" I asked making it obvious that I wasn't planning on making conversation.

"You know, your really pretty." Of course this is what they always said to get on your good side. I wasn't falling for it one bit.

"So I've heard." I said, yanking my shorts off. I took the rubber band out of my hair, and shook my head letting my hair whip her in the face. 'That's what she gets for standing in my face.' She made a 'Humph' noise, turned to the sink and started washing her hands. I just threw my clothes in my bag and walked out the door leaving her in there. My hair was sort of wavy from sleeping with it braided last night and my side bangs where falling in my eyes, which I fixed with a flick of my head. I walked toward the way we came from earlier. I found Nichole and another brunette standing against the wall, talking about whether or not they should go in the bathroom and try to save me. Nichole saw me and let her breath out like she had been holding it.

"I was ganna go in there after you when I saw Sophie go in there but... I thought that if there was a fight for one I'd just be in the way and second you could probably kick her butt anyways." I laughed at her.

"She may be a jerk but I don't think she was ganna try anything like that. The best thing for her to do is try to befriend me, and that's not ganna happen, as she just found out for herself." I followed them towards the beach, seeing a bunch of boys playing baseball, and guessing that was part of the US crowd when they all started elbowing each other and some even pointing my way. 'Very subtle guys.' I thought. "Is it just me or am I being started at?" I asked.

"You're being stared at." Said the girl who I heard Nichole call Andrea. She had a heavy English accent, which I was starting to love. She was wearing a black halter one piece, which showed off her back.

"Andrea!" Nichole said like it was rude to tell the truth.

"Well it's the truth!" She said.

I was lying on a towel sunbathing, with my Ipod turned all the way up. Nichole and Andrea didn't want to leave me but they really wanted to go swimming, so I told them that they were tan enough, and just to go that I would be fine. I was mouthing the words to a song when I felt someone come over by me and staring at me. When you live in New York City, with all the pervs out there, you learn to feel when someone even glances your way. I opened my eyes and some blonde guys were standing there, so I took out one of my headphones and asked, "Take a picture it lasts longer. Or do you need something?" I asked a little angry that my second day started with crappy music, a stuck up jerky girl, and a bunch of guys who decided that they were ganna stare.

"Oh, um we were ganna see if you were awake. All of us were going to go swim out to this little place, up lake a little ways."

"By all of us do you mean all of YOU or everyone else too?" I asked wierded out.

"Everyone, all the girls, guys, adults!" They added the last part like it was the only way that I would come.

"Alright fine, I'll go." I said sitting up and retying my top in the back. With one hand while I held it up with the other. I saw Mark and Dominic out by a rock, Dominic making sure that Mark stayed with him. Mark climbed up on the rock and yelled,

"I'm the king of the rock!" I stood up and started wading into the water. "Elizabeth! Come on!" He yelled again. Dominic turned around to look at me, seeing me for the first time in just my bikini. It was obvious he was trying not to stare, even though every once in awhile he would throw a look my way, and then turn his head quick. Of course, I did not notice. I took my time swimming out to the group of people, floating out on my back.

I finally got out far enough that I couldn't touch the ground anymore. "Hey!" I heard that heavy English accent, and then I felt the splash of cold water on my stomach. I jerked up to see Andrea and Nichole, both with guys hanging on them. 'Aren't they a little young' I thought.

"Oh hey," I said eyeing the two guys. The one who had his arms rapped around Andrea, who was sixteen, looked like he would take a bullet for her. I could tell by the protective way he positioned his body by hers, and how he had his arms wrapped around her. He had an artificial red on the tips of his hair, and compared to everyone else was rather pale. The guy with Nichole was obvious about wanting to go make-out somewhere. He was kissing her neck, making eyes at her, trying to pull her away. She kept pushing him off her playfully, giggling and telling him to stop that he was embarrassing her. "I was ganna come find you." I said lamely. Deep down I felt myself feeling left out, but told myself I was acting stupid.

"Uh hey Owen, can you try and keep your hands off my sister, at least while I'm around, please. It's grossing me out." Dominic said swimming up with Mark right behind him. His black hair that was normally in a faux hawk was now laying flat and sticking to his face.

"Hey it's not my fault you haven't kissed a girl in a year and a half. Not that you haven't kissed any guys lately…" Owen said making kissy faces and smooching noises at him.

"I thought I told you to keep that a secret!" Dominic said with mock horror.

"Well we were ganna to go hang out at The Rock, but we came to see if Elizabeth wanted to come with us. There are a bunch of people going up there." Andrea said.

"Uh I think I'm just ganna head back up to the beach, maybe play some cards, listen to music, die slowly." I said yawning. I was getting tired. The hectic pace of everything the last week was too crazy for me. I had lost fifteen hours of sleep in a matter of forty-two hours, the first two days I had found out. I had quit my job explaining that when I came back I would be super grateful if I could have it back.

"I want to play cards!" Mark said, wrapping his arms around Dominic's neck pushing him down.

"You sure you don't want to come? It's really neat, it has this awesome tree that fell down forever ago in a storm and-" she was interrupted by a splash of water and Dominic saying,

"You just wait. When you're not paying attention I'll get you back trust me."

"- It's really comfortable, you wouldn't think that a-" I wasn't paying attention; I was watching Mark flail as Dominic grabbed his leg tugging him under the water.

"Really? Huh, well I'm getting tired so maybe next time." I said looking at their disappointed looks.

"Well I mean we'll hang out with her when we go eat." Andrea said perking up a little.

"Alright, thanks for asking though, ask next time, I will defenatly come." I said smiling. They started to swim off and were about half way to the crowd when I felt two large hands grab my ankles and pull me down. I screamed, which was stupid because now I had no air. When I saw that it was Dominic, my heart did a little flip that I did not understand. 'There goes keeping my hair dry' I thought. I shoved at his chest trying to get him to let go. Mark came and I thought he would just grab my hands and pull me down. He didn't, he sat on Dominic's shoulders making him let go and free me. I swam up gasping for air, Mark right behind me being pulled right back down. I looked through the water and laughed as I saw Mark struggling to get loose from the headlock Dominic had him in, giving him a nuggie. Mark had always wanted a big brother, begged for mom to trade me for one, now he was probably wishing it were I trying to drown him then Dominic. He could probably push me off, I would freak out and think he was drowning, or give up.

"HELP ME!" Mark said breaking the water for a spilt second.

"No I think I'll go back to the beach. Have fun with… uh, whatever you two are doing." I laughed.

"I helped you!" he looked horrified as Dominic came up right next to him.

"Thanks for that, by the way." I said swimming towards land.

"You're so mean!" Mark said.

"I know, get over it!" I rubbed my eyes and yawned.

I had plunked down on my towel, turned on my Ipod, picked at my pruny fingers, waiting for Mark and Dominic to make their way back. Which they were of course taking forever to do. They were looking at fish that swam by them, and Dominic explaining things to Mark when he asked a question. I closed my eyes and started to doze off when Mark plopped down next to me.

"I deal, I'm not ganna let you cheat." He said to me.

"Okay whatever you want." I yawned, still not opening my eyes. I had a towel wrapped around me andmy hair, trying to stay warm and dry.

"You in Dominic?" he asked, already shuffling the cards.

"What are we play exactly?"

"It's called Bullshit and–"

"Excuse me, watch your mouth." I repremanded.

"You said it earlier!" He whined indignatly.

"Yeah well I'm an adult. When your eighteen then you can do whatever you want, as long as I'm not the one bailing you out of jail."

"It's still not right to curse even if you're an adult." He said.

"Exactly, and that means I have a bad habbit but it also mean that it makes it even MORE wrong for you to do it. If I jumped off a bridge would you follow? If I decided to kill random person would you do it to? Just think about it Mark. You can't deny that I'm right, sorry."


	5. Chapter 5

* I realize again that I'm not posting regularly enough and probably losing pplwho read it.... :( I'm not so happy with this chapter. Gets a little romantic for what I want this book tp turn out like... I have changed a couple things but i will probably post it on fanfic's sister site i think... Love you guys! PLEASE TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK!!!!!! It will be creative progress for me!

- Blaster*

Chapter Five

(Mark's P.O.V starting. You will be able to tell when switched)

Mark was standing staring at them gaping until he forced his mouth to shut. "Mark, go to your room. I'll come up in a bit." Mark knew that whatever Lizzy told him to do was probably in his best interest. Being a fourteen-year-old MAN, he knew not to get involved in things that started with her screaming 'WHAT THE HELL.' 'It wasn't like he allowed her to boss him around like she was his parent or anything.' He consoled himself as he left. He treaded very slowly trying to hear everything that he could. He counted the stairs going up to his room, sometimes when he was younger, he would REcount. Mark tried to remember all the times when Wizzy, as he called her when he was three, told him to go to his room. The first time was when dad had left the first time.

'Mark walked into the kitchen hearing some crying. He was five and Lizzy was nine, and to him was the grossest thing. He wanted a BROTHER not a sister who tried to make-up on him! "Momma? What's wrong?" he had asked with his little six-year-old face.

"Oh Baby, its just… its just." She had spread her arms and let him crawl up into her lap, tuck his head under her hair, and kiss her cheek.

"Oh Baby I love so much." He remembered her whispering in his ear. Something that he would be told more than once over the years. That was their thing, he would hug her now and kiss her on the cheek, and she would say "Oh Baby, I love you so much."

"Mark, why don't you go to your room and make mommy a picture? That would make her happy!" That was the first time she every told him that. Then it seemed like a good idea to him, not realizing that the picture was just bait.

The next time was a year and a half later when dad came back. He just knocked on the door so Mark opened it, not thinking about mom not being there. "DADDY! YOU'RE BACK!" well that had certainly gotten her attention off her Lizzy Maguire show. Or Even Stephen whatever show she was watching at that time.

"Mark go to your room. Dad and I need to catch up." A ten-and- ½ -year-old, who at the time had a lot of attitude, was not planning to have a talk with him. There also, he meekly agreed, knowing that with dad being gone it WAS odd that he was just showing up again.

The third time was when dad and mom started fighting late at night while they were watching The Simpsons. Dad had just said something about mom neglecting us kids, and Lizzy blew up.

"Mark, please go to your room for a second okay? I'll be in a little while. But why don't you see if you can beat your high score on Donkey Kong." She had whispered in his ear, waiting for him to leave before her big explosion. At the time he was excited he got to play the Nintendo. He had been grounded (by dad) for throwing popcorn at his mom. It was something they did when dad was gone.

Mark stopped remembering the specifics and started remembering what Lizzy had said to him.

"Mark me and mom need time to talk, why don't you go start on your pyramid? I'll help you in a bit okay?" that time trying to tell him that her and moms crying meant nothing.

"Mark… would you please go to your room?" she said trying to hold down her anger and be pleasant with him.

"Mark GO to your room NOW please."

"Mark please go to your room and look for that hat, when your done we'll be ready to go."

"Mark go to your room."

"Mark, room please?"

"Mark maybe you should go into your room, and I'll fill you in later." Mark knew she would but he wanted to hear it happen. That very first time she came in my room with me hiding under my blankets, and held me. She told me that right now he had the chance of a lifetime. He could make a pact with her so that when she told him to go to her room she would always tell him what happened.' Mark slammed his bedroom door.

"WHO'S THIS?" I asked shoving my finger at her face.

"This is Linda, she works for the local news. Right now she's doing a segment about 'What Our Children are Really Eating.'" My dad was smiling ear to ear, he did the whole 'Spiderman Turns to Villain?' newspaper headline thing. He'd do that hand gesture when he wanted you to believe that a movie or show, was the biggest, most exciting, entertaining thing.

It didn't get past her when Cake-Face Big-Hair blushed with pleasure at the fact that my dad thought it was _Brilliant_. Cake-Face stood up, wobbling on her six-inch heels, and outstretched her hand.

"Oh, Baby, I've heard sooo MUCH aboutchoo." She had an accent that it reminded Lizzy of the crazy dude on King of the Hill's wife. Funny that she was a news anchor too, and had big hair.

I just looked her up and down, not shaking her hand, but instead putting it on my hip. "Really, 'cause you know I haven't heard ONE THING about you." I said moving my head around in an attitudy way.

"Oh, well… You know when your dad said you were beautiful, I thought… But your GORGOUSE!" She said changing the subject for the good.

I was NOT having it, "Yeah that's probably because he hasn't seen his ONLY children in two years. And two years ago, I weighed a hundred and twenty pounds more than I do now. You know when your parents spilt it's true. It's REALLY hard on their children, I mean we had to send Mark to a class that taught him Karate so that he could get out all his rage. And me I ate like crazy, got super fat at one point, but after a year, I wanted to be stronger. So I would run to school, that four miles, then get changed there. And after school, I ran to this gym and I would get on the treadmill and run and run and run… AND RUN! Then I got into lifting weights," I said nodding, I could tell it was killing dad, while Big-Hair just looked confused. "And I would get ready and pump iron with some of the guys there, we'd see who could bench more. I went on this diet and lost all this weight, and I told myself that the next time someone broke my family's AND my heart, I would kill them." for that last part I just looked at dad. "And then a year and a half later I end up here at this house in Nebraska, with the person who broke it the last time, and none the less his new, improved gal-pal is here. So where does that leave us?" I pointed at her. "You haven't earned my respect, so no I won't shake your hand, and I won't be doing girly things with you either so don't think you can come in with your girly crap and pretend that I'm your kid. GOD YOU'RE LIKE TWENTY-FIVE! And you." I pointed at him. "Can shove it if you think that this trip here, which was FORCED on me I might add, is not ganna be some kind of happy reunion. We aren't goin' to go get ice cream, or go job looking. Or whatever you had planned, and you know why? Because I will be busy with the people who no me better than you. And they just met me today." I walked out the door towards the garage, then thought about it. I opened the door again, looked at him and said "I'm really disappointed at you dad. You should know better." And walked off.

"He can't live that far away I mean he works in this town right? He went to school in this town. He said it takes him fifteen minutes to get to the house, so where the heck is he?" I wondered aloud to no one. Elizabeth was standing in a phone booth by a gas station, looking for Nichole and Dominic's house. Mark was in the gas station buying a drink for him.

She looked over and there he was, walking out of the store with Mark in tow. "Hey, uh hi." She said. Now she wasn't so sure of what she was going to say with him standing there in front of her. "Um… Yeah, did you know my dad was dating?" she looked at him, her eyes filling up with the tears she had been fighting off for the last hour.

"Nope, come on you can tag along with me. I have the shift right now so I'm delivering some food but, if you wanna come you can." He smiled.

"Please." She wiped off her cheek, where the tears had spilled over.

"Cool, can I have shotgun?" Mark perked up at the fact of doing anything OTHER than wondering around. Liz had forgotten about her car in all the fuss, and grabbed Mark and got out of there.

"Whatever Mark." I said getting into the car. She leaned her head against the window and closed her eyes.

"So do you know who she is?" Dominic asked.

"No, he just said the local news lady. Apparently, she's working on a segment called 'What Our Children are Really Eating!" I said sarcastically.

"Linda? Seriously? Wow…"

"Does she have big, blonde hair, caked on make-up, and wears too of tight suits?"

"Yep that's her. Wanna hear something hilarious? When I was little she was like… three grades ahead of me, and I had the BIGGEST crush on her."

"God you make me sound like I'm five. My dad's girlfriend used to be three grades ahead of this guy I hangout with!"

"No… She's just… into older men." He smiled in the rearview mirror at me.

"That's fantastic. He could, quite literally, be her father."

"You're right she SHOULD be with a younger man. You know, some one like… ME!"

"Oh wow! You're such a TARD!" I laughed.

"Does anyone want to talk about something else?" Mark asked. I knew he wouldn't show it but, he was really bothered by this.

"What do you wanna talk about, punk?" Dominic asked him.

"Baseball. Or sports in general, something I'm good at."

"That's all you ever talk about, Mark. You need a new hobby. You should go back to Karate at least that was entertaining." I said playing around, knowing both of them would freak out.

"DON'T TELL HIM THAT!" Dominic protested looking horrified

"WHAT? I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU! YOU ALWAYS LOVED MY GAMES!" Mark screeched at the same time Dominic had screamed at me.

"I was kidding! Gah man." I was laughing. "Why so serious?" I said in my creepy voice trying to recreate the Joker's voice.

'Where the heck am I?' I thought as I sat up in an unfamiliar bed, in unfamiliar clothes. The room was dark, and I was wearing guy-running shorts, that were obviously picked out for a girl to wear, and a pink shirt with a ketchup bottle on it and a burger. "Hello?" I asked.

The last thing I remembered was screaming at my dad and some woman with big blonde hair. A door opened and all I saw was a lot of bright light. I quickly threw my hand over my eyes.

"Hey, good morning sleepy head." I heard a girl's voice say to me. "It's me Nichole, Dominic didn't want to take you guys back to your dad's, so he brought you here. You were already dead asleep though." She laughed "There's some food down stairs, come on."

I got up and followed her to the door. She was wearing similar men's jogging shorts and a tee with cartoons on it. I walked down the stairs smelling bacon and something else delectable. The kitchen was a bright, happy room, which made you want to smile.

"Oh my Lord! You've gotten so BIG!" an older woman who looked about the same age as my mom, said getting tears in her eyes. I just looked at her. "I remember you when you were tiny! We went to New York when you were born to visit your mom and dad!"

"Excuse me?" I asked confused.

"Oh Darlin' you have no idea who I am, do you?"

"I'm sorry but no…"

"Oh well that's okay, I didn't expect your dad to tell you anything about us. You just sit down and eat and I'll explain after."

"Thank you." I said honesty, smiling at this unknown woman who seemed to be connected to the old, happy, couple my parents used to be.

"Just have a seat." She said pointing at a yellow table that Dominic was at stuffing his face with pancakes. "I'll make you a plate."

"Mom, I don't think it's fair that when it's just us, you NEVER make breakfast but when someone else is here. You make a HUGE meal." Dominic said between bites. I just laughed. I sat down beside Nichole and looked at a picture that was on the wall opposite of where I was sitting. It was of, who I assumed was Dominic, holding a baby on a fake leather couch, grinning ear to ear. I nudged Nichole and asked,

"Is that you?" pointing to the picture. Everyone just looked at me, including a man, I didn't see standing in front of the stove.

"No… That's you." Dominic said, after everyone else had turned around.

"Right, I should have guessed." I said shaking my head. His mom laid my plate in front of me. It had steaming eggs and blueberry pancakes on it, and the best-looking bacon I've seen in a while. "Thanks I haven't had home made breakfast in…" 'Since dad left, the first time.' I thought to myself. "Forever… Where's Mark?" I asked suddenly remembering about him in all this.

"He's upstairs… uh Dominic why don't you help me wake him up?" Nichole said.

"Fine." He said looking at his food longingly. As they got up and left, their mom sat down in front of me.

"Honey, Dominic told me what happened with your dad. I just want to know that even though you don't know us that this family knows you, and we love you. So if you want to stay here until your dad gets HIS ACT TOGETHER, that's okay with us… Did your parents ever tell you that they grew up in Bertrand?" I shook my head no. "Well they did, they were married here. I was your mother's Maid of Honor, and my husband here, Norman, was your dad's Best Man. We were really close with your parents, so when your mom got pregnant with you… they made us your 'God Parents' so to speak. If anything were to happen to them, we would get you. I don't know about Mark because after he was born your father had already ruined the friendship he had with us. But back to the story… your dad got a job in New York, he used to say that when you grew up that he wanted you to have EVERYTHING your heart desired. So they moved where he could get more money. And when you were born, let me tell you, you were the prettiest baby I've ever seen. Don't tell my children but, I used to wish that Nichole would look just like you, so when she was born at first I was disappointed." I laughed.

"So anyways, we went to visit your mother in the hospital, since there was some complications. Dominic thought you were the sweetest thing he ever saw! When you would visit us, up until you were three, he was your best friend, I swear. We have so many pictures of the two of you! There's this one that I keep in my room… well let me go get it." She got up and hurried away.

I looked at my orange juice and wondered why my parents never told me about these people. These people knew more about my parents and even about me, than I did!

"I know this is a lot to take in, especially with Ginger's crazy way of explaining things. But she means well. Your mother still keeps in touch with her. They talked last night actually, up until Dominic burst through the door with you in his arms. We thought he killed you or something." Norman laughed. He put his arm around me and squeezed, but quickly got up as we heard Ginger come back in.

"Here I got this, it's a photo album of you, all the way back to when you were in your mama's tummy."

"You know what really makes me mad? Is that I was never told about you guys. I mean, you know more about me than I do." I said starting to cry.

"Oh no Hon," Norman came back and put his arms around my shaking shoulders. "Maybe we should give her a break. Discuss this again later." He said to Ginger. I turned my head and put it against his chest. I didn't know these people but my happy, whole parents did, and that made them family. I cried into his chest getting his shirt wet. He rubbed my back like I was his daughter. If I thought about it, they did look familiar, from the few wedding photos I saw.

"Everything okay?" Dominic asked from the doorway.

"It's.. It's.. Fine." Ginger sniffled and blew her nose.

'THUMP,THUD! THUMP, THUD! THUMP, THUD!' my feet smacked against the sidewalk. I breathed in and out. After I was cried out, I went for a run. I had gone in a straight line for at least the last hour, just running and running. Dominic had decided to come but had to run fast to keep up.

"When you said you were a freak, you weren't kidding. I got to take a break." He said. He was starting to lag behind me.

"Fine." I said sitting down on the sidewalk. That was the first time we had talked the whole run. I scooted over to where he had sat down on the curb and put my bare feet on the road.

"I can't believe you can run that fast for a whole hour and not slow down. And your bare foot!" he said trying to catch his breath.

I looked at him and smiled. "I'm a freak of nature, I know." Someone drove by and honked and he waved at them. "Do you remember me?" I asked. "I mean from when we were little."

"Yup, sure do. You were a lot cuter back then though." He laughed.

"Yeah like I could be any cuter than I am now." I said joking around. "Did you know who I was even when you came to my house the other night?"

"Yeah. Why do you think I was so surprised that it was you in the mall that was getting all crazy?"

"I didn't even think about that yet. Huh. You know I took lessons for five years. Yep, that's why I rock at it." I said informing him. "I feel like a total jerk not remembering you guys, especially with your mom and dad being so kind, they treat me like I'm your sister or something."

"They love you that's for sure… my mom has all your school pictures from kindergarten to… sixth grade I think, in a photo album with mine and Nichole's." he laughed and shook his head.

"Do your friends know who I am?"

"They know who you are but most of them don't know that your dad used to live here. The parents of this town don't talk about your mom and dad much. Him moving here after everything that happened wasn't' really smart on his side." He said getting serious. He looked at me, "Let's not talk about this anymore, alright?"

"Alright fine, what do you wanna talk about." I asked

"ME! Duh!" I giggled at him. It was his typical answer.

"Okay so what about you?" I asked looking at him questioningly.

"Well, where to start!" he laughed

"What's your favorite color? Start there." I suggested.

"Mmm Green, maybe, I don't know. What about you?"

"This will sound weird but Black. What's your middle name?" I asked, it would be nice to know something about his family.

"Michael. Your turn."

"Alexandra."

"Elizabeth Alexandra Moore… that's a long name. Sounds like the queen of England's name."

"I know, why do you think I go by Lizzy? Even though it's like a twelve-year-old's nickname. I've tried them all, Beth, Liz, Lizzy, Eli, Elli. Okay so next question!"

"Mom, I swear he's with some chick here! You sent me to fight off Satan in his homeland!" I said to my mom over the phone sitting on Nichole's bed while she was in the process of giving me a makeover. Dominic and Mark had moved the XBOX into her room so when I said that Dominic turned and said, "So are you saying that Bertrand is Hell?" I just shushed him.

"Who was that?" she asked for the third time. I walked out into the hallway.

"Okay Mom, you really want to know who I'm with right now. I'm with your Maid of Honor Ginger's son and daughter. Why didn't you guys ever tell me about them? It would kind of be nice to know that if you and Dad ever died I'd go to strangers. Why didn't you ever tell me about myself mom? They're a part of my past. They know me better than I know myself, you know how bad that hurts? To know that strangers know me AND my parents better than I do?" I was starting to cry. "Why did you and Dad have to be so stupid anyways? I mean I understand why you got a divorce, he was a jerk, but why'd you constantly hide the past? It was like you didn't want me and Mark to know you were ever happy! But I remember Mom so your pitiful tries really didn't help! You could have told me… YOU SHOULD HAVE TOLD ME! I thought that we told each other everything, I see I was wrong though. But you know what? I will figure out the truth, I don't need you for that. Or my 'FATHER.' Look I need to go. Bye, I really hope you see that you can trust me Mom, I really do. You've hurt me." I hung up on her. I walked back in the room.

"Wow you got a little harsh there Liz, you know you just made her start bawling her eyes out right? That's just great! Hand me the phone so I can fix your problems." Mark said, he was angry at me, he didn't understand. It wasn't his past…

"Mark, you have no idea… They didn't cover up four years of your past. They didn't lie to you. You go ahead and call Mom, do whatever you won't. You can go stay with your father if you want, but I'm not. You have to realize Mark, who protected you all these years from their fighting and arguing and who sat with you when they would be screaming at three o' clock in the morning. When you leave me, I can't protect you. When you step out of my reach, you're gone, I'm sorry but if you call her I can't protect you from what she'll say or who she'll blame." I said, realizing that I was being pretty nasty. But he had NO IDEA at what they could do.

"Fine, I'll call her in the morning then." He said.

"That's all I'm asking. She'll be reasonable tomorrow." I said being more kind now.

"Okay stop talking, you're making me mess up your make-up." Nichole complained.

"Oh God not her make-up!" Dominic said making fun of her.

"How do I look?" I said plopping back down on Nichole's bed two hours later. She took me into the bathroom and changed so many things it scared me. She curled my hair into ringlets, pulled the top back, clipped it, and let the rest hang behind me all curly. She put make-up on me I never even heard of, curled my eyelashes, and painted my nails hot pink. I was a girl, but not that much of a girl. I was starting to think she might even stuff my bra!

"Like… not you." Mark said looking immediately.

"That's what I said! I have on so much make-up, I swear, my face should be dragging the ground right now." I laughed.

"Uh, wow!" Dominic said. "You should really go get in the shower and wipe it off. You're starting to look a bit like Cake-Face…"

"WHAT? Ugh, seriously? Crap, okay, I'm getting in the shower." I said walking towards the bathroom, again, grabbing some towels, and getting undressed. I climbed in and turned the hot water on. Letting the hot water work out all the kinks in my muscles. I looked at all the soap they had. It almost looked like everyone used a different kind. There was strawberry, coconut, AXE Chocolate, French Creek bar soap, something that said SQUEEKY CLEAN on it, and last but not least, cashmere. Did cashmere have a smell? I sniffed the soap, and apparently, it smells like Mountain Fresh laundry detergent. I thought about it and opened up the lid to the AXE. I took a big whiff, getting a little tipsy on the smell, if that is possible. I love AXE! I grabbed the strawberry and used it, letting the smell overwhelm me. I even used strawberry shampoo and conditioner. Then I grabbed the AXE and washed my hands so I could keep the smell. I still could not believe that I was spending my Saturday with Mark in tow, and even more surprised, to be spending my SUMMER with STRANGERS.

I walked to Nichole's room after getting dressed in the clothes she had come and laid in front of the door. I opened the door and fell onto her bed. "Do you have a hairbrush I could use?" I asked, even after the shower, I immediately twisted it up in a towel.

"Yeah, here." She said walking over to her 'desk,' which she had converted into a make-up table. She tossed me a brush that had a squishy handle.

"Well, we're ganna hit the sack… so 'Night." Dominic said getting up and walking out. Mark yawned and gave me a hug. I brushed my hair and got under the pink, furry, covers. I felt like I was sleeping with a big, puffy, cat.

"He likes you, ya know?" Nichole said matter-a-factly.

"I'm sure he's just being friendly. I mean, he knows me, right, from a long time ago so…"

"RIGHT! THAT'S just being friendly."

"Okay, well I'm going to sleep, goodnight."

"Nichole? Where are you?" I asked again louder. I woke up to people talking in the hallway, but Nichole was not in bed. "Okay, that's it." I said flipping up the covers. I opened up the door, and there was just a staircase, that kept going and going. "Hello?" Mark? Dominic? Nichole?" I said quietly not wanting my voice to travel. "Hello? NORMAN? GINGER?" I hollered. Someone was walking down the stairs. "HEY! WAIT UP!" I screamed. I started running down all those stairs, as fast as I could. I tripped falling off the stairs and into the darkness. I hit my head on something hard, blood immediately dripped on my face. It was covering my face! I could not see it was bleeding so badly. What did I do to my head? I reached up and felt the back of my head, where it hurt the most, my hands reaching nothing. I looked at my hands and they were not there.

"SOMEONE HELP ME!" I screamed, while scooting my back against what I thought was a wall.

"Darling Dear… If you get up and come here, I can help you."

"Who are you?" I asked, now thoroughly afraid of the darkness that was consuming me.

"I'm your Grammy. Do you not remember me? We used to sit at the table," I was suddenly in a kitchen chair. The kitchen around me was all-dark, except the light over the oven were Grandma was standing. "And you my Darling Dear would make cookies with me. I must say though, you look different from the last time I saw you. I cannot put my finger on it though… HMM? Here my Little Ladybug, have a cookie." I saw everything but Grandma's head, the light was not allowing me to.

"Grandma, what about my head though? I hit it when we were in that dark room."

"Baby, you hit you head? Let me see?" it was mom, standing next to Gram, but the happy mom. "Awe Baby! I'll get ice." She said hugging me.

"Momma, I think I'm in a dream." I said as she walked away.

"Oh, Darlin' you are in a dream, you're a dream!" Ginger said appearing in the seat next to me.

"Oh Ginger, where were you? I screamed for you. And Dominic and Norman and Nichole."

"Oh well Norman and I were laying Dominic down for a nap. That's why we didn't hear you." I looked at Ginger and she was younger… almost twenty, maybe older. Her hair was pitch black, and all flipped out like hair in the 80's.

"Oh well, that's okay I guess. Where am I?" I asked.

"You're in your bed," I was laying in my red bedroom in New York. "You hit your head pretty hard." Said a little boy. Grandma was standing at the end of my bed, the little boy hovering beside me; Ginger was lying beside me, and Mom standing behind the little boy, holding ice.

"Who are you?" I asked the little boy. He rolled his eyes exasperated.

"Dominic? DUH!"

"Baby, take the ice." Happy Mom.

"Ladybug you need a cookie, take a cookie." Said headless Grandma.

"Darlin' you need to rest." Ginger ordered.

"Come play with me! You don't look that hurt." Little Dominic whined.

"BE QUIET EVERYONE!" My In-Charge Mother came in with a nice suit on, and walked over to Happy Mom. Everyone else disappeared.

"I'm her Mother I'll give her the ice." In-Charge Mother grabbed the ice pack.

"But… But I am her Momma. I need to take care of my baby." Happy Mom pulled on the ice pack.

"She's MY daughter!"

"No I have to protect her! She's MY Baby!"

"Lizzy, pick!"

"Baby, let me have the ice. I'll wrap it in a sock how you like it."

I reached for the ice, but they were to far away and I fell into the darkness off my bed. "HHHEEELLLPP!" I screamed, falling further.

"HHHEEELLLPP!" I screamed hitting the floor. I looked around. Nichole was looking at me from over the bed. Big Dominic was standing over me, smirking, nonetheless. Mark was just staring from behind Dominic.

"Are you okay? You were talking in your sleep and it kinda scared me so I went and got Dominic."

"Uh, sure, I'm fine. I guess." I said blinking. 'It was just a dream.' Dominic put his hand out, again it was as if he was asking me to forget about everyone who hurt me and trust him, just as Nichole did that first day. I grabbed his hand and pulled. Ending up right in front of him. His buff chest right there, just wanting me to touch it. To make it worse, I had kicked off my shorts in the middle off the night and now I was in my underwear. I let go of his hand super quick and grabbed my shorts, slipping them on super quick.

I sat on the bed and flopped back. "What time is it?"

"TWO AM!" They all moaned at the same time.

"Well I can't go back to sleep right now!" I said laughing. I scooted over for Dominic to sit on the bed. Mark crawled up between Nichole and me, lying down. I lay down beside him, grabbing his hand and holding onto it. We all just lay in this bed, not talking, all of us squished against each other. Mark was the first to fall asleep, and the first to break the silence.

"I love you Wizzy." He mumble.

"Love you too, Maxi." When Mark was little, he could not say the L in my name. So he called me Wizzy, I would get so mad at him, I started calling him Maxi. I do not know why but that's just what came to my mind when I was thinking of a name to call him back. Maybe it had to deal with the fact that I was holding a box of Maxi Pads when he yelled at me to hurry up. Him screaming through the bathroom door at me, "Wizzy hurry up!"

I screamed back "Shut it, Maxi." He always thought I was calling him Maxine. If he only knew. I shook my head.

Nichole was the second to fall asleep. She didn't say anything, we just heard her start snoring.

"So Wizzy huh?" Dominic whispered in what he thought was my ear. Really, it was my nose.

"He called me that when he was little, and when he gets SUPER tired. He couldn't pronounce the letter L." I laughed quietly, laying my head back on the pillow.

"So why do you call him Maxi?" Oh God. I really didn't want to discuss THAT at the moment. THAT being Maxi Pads.

"At the time I was… Watching a movie, and there was some chick named Maxine. Him calling me Wizzy, used to make me SUPER mad, so I called him Maxi." I lied. That would be how many times in the last few days? A lot that's all I know. "So anyways…" I said wanting to change the subject.

"Thumb Wars." He said grabbing my hand.

"Hey not fair, my hands twisted. You have to move in front of me." He twisted around sitting Indian style, without letting go of my hand.

"Okay, so how I remember is that… you have to hold down your opponent's thumb for five seconds to win." He said playing with my fingers, making them do what his fingers should be doing. "You can snake hole, just not while your being pinned… like while we're counting the five seconds you can't snake hole. ANYONE WHO DISOBAYS THE RULES WILL BE LOCKED AWAY IN THE DUNGEON."

"Cause we have a dungeon on hand." I said giggling.

"Prepare to be taken down." He smiled cockily.

"Okay so… one, two, three, four. This is how we start our war. GO!" We started off our thumbs sticking straight up, waiting for someone else to make the first move. "You're sooo losing!" I taunted.

"I don't really think anyone's making any progress. We're really just holding hands right now." While he was distracted, I pinned his thumb.

"Right, one, two, three, four, and this is how we end The War!!!" I win!" I started 'Raising the Roof.'

"I let you win that one." He said staring at me as if I was a retard.

"SUURREE you did!" I laughed a little loud making Mark stir.

"Wake up you crazy children!" Ginger said, "Time for church."

"Church?" Mark asked.

"Yeah you know like… God, Angels, Jesus. That whole thing." Nichole laughed.

"I've never been before." Mark said.

"WHAT? You've NEVER been to church before?" Nichole asked not believing him.

"Yes you have Mark, you just don't remember. It'll be good for you to go, but I should go home. I need to talk to my dad, he's probably freaking out. I'll come next time though!" I gave Ginger a hug, and walked out of the bedroom.

"At least stay for breakfast!" Ginger called, but I pretended not to hear her. I blew past Norman who was sitting on the couch reading the news, and wearing a suit.

"SEE YA around Norman!" I called behind me as I flew out the door, running down the road. I blew by some 'HELP WANTED' signs, then backed up and looked at it again.

"HELP WANTED!

Looking for a server/waiter.

Paying $6.50 an hour,

Pleasant work area

Flippin' Sweet Café

It's Flippin' Sweet!"

I wrote down the address and phone number on my hand, and just kept running.

"Hey do you need a ride or something?" I turned and looked, and Sophie was sitting in her older Honda Civic.

"No I'm good. Just jogging home from a run." I lied. Kind of…

"Oh well, I just heard you came from Dominic's." She was looking for a rumor to spread about the new girl.

"No, not Dominic's. Nichole's, I mean I know they're the same place but I wasn't there for Dominic, I was actually hanging out with Ginger and Norman. They really love me." I was confused and off my game. I knew the last thing I said would hurt her, because they never liked her.

"Oh well I thought you were heading home?"

"I am." I said staring her down. "Look, I don't need a ride, I'm fine. Thanks for you concern. Oh and I'm sorry about what happened to you and Dominic. I mean it's sad that your not over him." I started running again.

"Wait, who told you? I wasn't over him, I mean." she asked keeping pace with me. She just made a mistake, and she knew it to.

"You just did." I said smiled at her. She started to drive off.

"Have fun _jogging_." She said it as if I was doing some horrible thing.

"Dad? Are you home?" I asked opening the door. "Hello?" Rusty immediately came running for me, as if he had known me my whole life. Sadly, he probably DID know me as a little kid, I just didn't remember.

"Hey Wrinkles! How you doin'?" I asked Rusty rubbing his ears.

"Elizabeth?" I heard my name called.

"Yeah?" I asked this voice. An older woman came through the living room door holding a basket of clothes.

"You fajar's at vork." She was definitely a Greek.

"Um, on a Sunday?"

"Yes… he never stop. Except for you." She didn't really know much English I guessed.

"Uh, okay. By the way, it's Lizzy." I told her.

I walked up stairs and took a shower in my own bathroom. I changed into my clothes and lay on my bed. I could practically SMELL New York. It wasn't that Bertrand was a bad city, or that the people, aside from Sophie, weren't nice. I just missed New York so much…

"Coming!" I called to the door. I was wearing a Spanish skirt that came to my knees and a red tank top. Therefore, when I opened the door, it wasn't what I expected. There was a bag burning on my front porch. Not just one but FIVE! "CLASSIC!" I yelled across the lawn. I shut the door, went to the kitchen and filled up a cup of water. I walked back out and I saw a couple of faces I didn't know peeking around the side of the house. I poured water on the bag, and smashed them with the shovel lying on the porch. "I expect for you to come clean this up, in the five minutes you have before I call the cops." I called to them.

"What? NO PLEASE DON'T CALL THE COPS!" the one guy whined. "Dude Andrea is ganna KILL me!" Clairance and Owen walked out from behind the house.

"Clean this up. You're not funny!" I looked at them. "And your not getting anything to clean it up with. That means pick it up with your hands, and you will NOT be coming in my house to wash them."

"Dude come on… We're NOT cleaning this up with our hands." Owen looked at me, thinking I was kidding. I wasn't.

"That's fine," I whipped out my cell phone. "And now I know who you are to. Your not very smart you know that? I guess the cops will be here in… two minutes." I watched as Dominic's car drove down my road, wondering what he was doing.

"No. No, No, we'll pick it up with our hands. Owen god your so dumb. I thought you said you did this and never got caught." Clairance punched him in the arm.

"Dude I have. I don't know how she caught us…" He mumbled back.

"Oh, I know why, it's because I lived in NEW YORK!! I played pranks all the time. To tell you the truth I knew exactly where you were hiding. I'm no fool. Oh, and I will be calling your girlfriends to let them know." I was freaking the out and I could tell. I crossed my arms smirking. I had them in the palm of my hand. I could probably make them mow my yard also.

"Hey what are you doing here?" Owen asked Dominic as he walked up the porch.

"Uh, the better question is what are you doing here, and why are you picking up crap with your hands?" He looked at me smirking.

"Your girlfriend is making us do it." Owen glared at me.

"SHUT UP WILL YOU! YOU'RE GANNA MAKE IT WORSE!" Clairance smacked him in the back of the head with his dirty hands.

"They thought they could pull a prank on the 'Master Prankster' herself. You know the flaming bag of crap thing. Now I'm enjoying watching them clean up all five bags." I grinned at Dominic. "Owen's just making it more entertaining. Oh and I'll be calling both their girlfriends." I added. Dominic just laughed.

"So you ganna hang around for a bit?" I asked him, not looking at him. "You missed some." I added to the two tards.

"Might as well. Mark's hanging out with my dad, so I got bored. I think he's teaching Mark how to fix a roof or something." I laughed at him, shaking my head.

"'Kay well go pick out a movie, or something. I'll wait for these tards to finish up." Dominic walked inside, leaving me with Owen and Clairance.

"So you two, eh?" Clairance asked. "Andrea told me it would happen."

"Uh no. I've known him since I was three, we're just good friends. Andrea of all people should have known that, being best friends with Nichole and all." I said getting angry and I didn't know why. Normally I kept my cool in situations like this.

"Look we're done just let us go please! My hands stink." Owen complained.

"What movie did you pick?" I asked Dominic plopping down beside him.

"I have no clue!" He laughed. "You dad has a TON of movies I've never even heard of. It had an explosion on the front though so who knows."

"So my dad is at work on a Sunday." I shook my head. "I come in and this lady comes out and is like 'Oh Elizabeth, you dad isn't here, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH, something about him taking off for work only for me!" I was annoyed.

"Effie's sweet when you get used to her." He said. Rusty climbed up on the couch lying on Dominic AND me!

"You crazy old dog." I laughed, rubbing his ears. Dominic yawned, stretching, for a minute I thought he was ganna do the stretch and put my arm around her as a joke, but he didn't.

"I'm blaming my sleeplessness on you. Just so you know. You should feel guilty." He glared at me.

"It was your idea to play Thumb Wars. Besides your just complaining because you lost! I have more thumb power than you!" I laughed. I realized one of the reasons I liked him so much was because he talked as if he was from Florida. I grew up in New York but everyone said I sounded like I was from Tennessee. Not that I had the southern accent. I just talked like Emma, she was from Tennessee and that's how I was used to people talking. Dominic didn't pronounce oil as oal. He also didn't say fangers instead of fingers. When people talked like that, it had the, look the other way and don't look back, effect on me.

"You talk like-"

"SHHH the movie's starting." I complained elbowing him in the ribs.

He reached over and covered my mouth with his hand. "You… are very… ANNOYING." He said looking me in the eyes. Again, my heart started to gallop out of control. His eyes were so beautiful, that blue, that almost looked like ice. I wonder if he had contacts. He moved his hand up onto my cheek and leaned forward. He was going to kiss me I could tell, it was obvious. He got even closer… all most there and I had to ruin it. 'I don't want this right now. I want to stay his friend! The person he stays up with and plays Thumb Wars with or Rock Paper Scissors with.'

"DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS?" I blurted out, pulling back before he could do anything to ruin it.

He laughed. "Uh, yeah… I got them a couple years ago." He explained. That made them less amazing. I wished they were real, just to make him even more beautiful. He moved his hand off my face. Instead, he reached for my hand, which I let him do that. I mean, he pretty much held my hand all last night, right? So it wasn't a big deal.

We were silent for a while just watching the movie, which turned out to be surprisingly gory.

"I'm sorry." I said, and I was. I didn't want him to ruin the relationship that we had now, but me refusing just made it awkward.

"For what?" he looked at me as if he really had no idea what I was apologizing for.

"I mean… Its not as if I wouldn't LOVE for you to kiss me, but I mean I don't want that right now. I've known you for how long? Three days? I mean… I like just sitting around doing stupid things with you, like playing Thumb Wars for three hours straight." I smiled at him.

"Techniclly you've known me since you were…" He made a face. "Two weeks old. So ZERO wierdness." He was serious you could tell.

"Still, a little wierdness." I said. I noticed that whenever he talked, convincingly, he moved his hands all OVER the place. just one more thing that made him intresting. It made me wonder where, or who, he got it from.

*Still not all the way done with chapter five but thought i should post it for comments on this awkward situation that i'm not really liking as the author..... TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK!!!*


End file.
